Guard.



B. mus- GUARD,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1914.

1,136,6QL I Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

STATES PA ormon THOMAS B; HARRIS, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

I GUARD.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed Kay 16, 1914. Serial no. 839.107. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs B. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings.

ments in guards and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with fire alarm boxes; and an object of the invention is to provide a device I of this generalcharacter'having novel and improved means whereby a signal is caused to be operated when effort is made to gain access within the fire alarm box. I

Furthermore, it is annhject of the invention to provide a device of this general character including novel and improved means adapted to normally inclose the lock on the door of the fire alarm box and having normally a single point of entrance for the hand in order to release such lock and whereby such single point or entrance is surrounded by means adapted to engage the hand or arm in such a manner as to main tain the person endeavoring to operate the fire alarm captive.

The invention consistsin the details of construction ,and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved guard whereby certam'important advantages are attained andthe device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claim;

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I. will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fire alarm box,.with a guard constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention applied thereto, the support for the fire alarm being shown in fragment; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my improved guard as shown in Fig. 1, with the adjacent portion of the fire-box indicated in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

This invention relates to certain improve- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substan- I tially on the line 4-'! of Fig. 3.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a fire alarm box of any ordinary or preferred construction, herein disclosed as suitably connected with a supporting standard or post 2. The hinged door 3 of the fire alarm box isrovided with any conventional form of 100 ing means, as indicated at 4. The locking means 4 is adapted to be incased within the housing 5 of any desired configuration or dimensions and having its rear face open and being hingedly connected with the door 3, as indicated at 6, while the opposite side of such housing is provided with the projections 7 adapted to be directed through suitable openings 8 produced in the door, such projections terminating in the eyes 9 through which a pin 10 or the like is adapted to be directed in order to normallymaintain the housing in assembled position. In order that visual access may be had within the housing. I provide the top and a side wall thereof with an opening 11 covered by any suitable transparent member 12, as is believed to be clearly apparent.

In the forward face of the housing in sub-- 15 hingedly connected to the inner face of v the outer wall of the housing, as indicated at 16, and these leaves or wings 15 are surrounded by a, retractible annular member 17 produced preferably from a coil spring possessing the requisite tension, which serves to normally maintain a restricted opening but which will permit the insertion of the hand or arm therethrough. The inner surfaces of the free or inner extremities of the wings are provided with the inwardly directed penetrating teeth 18 which under the influence of the rctractible member 17 serve as an efi'ective medium to prevent the withdrawal of the arm or hand and thus holds the person endeavoring to operate the fire alarm captive. in a manner which is believed to be clearly obvious.

In order that a signal may be given immediately adjacent the fire alarm box so that attention of other persons in the vithe.;housing the horizontally disposed authorized person, I

cinity may be'attracted, I" support within tubular member 19, preferably formed of rubber, through which is directed a rod 20 adapted for endwise movement therethrough and having one extremity adapted to be operatively engaged by one of the wings or leaves 15, while the opposite extremity of such rod is provided with a contact plate 21 adapted to bridge the contacts 22 interposed in the circuit 23 of the bell 2%, herein shown as operatively supported by the post 2. By this arrangement, it will be seen that as the hand is inserted within the entrance opening 14, the resultant movement of the leaves or wings result in the requisite closing of the circuit 23 and the operation of the signal.

It will be observed that the housing 5 and its position upon the door 3 is such as to in no wise interfere with the person usin his other hand for operating the fire a arm mechanism contained within the box 1 and in releasing the rod 10 so that the housin 5 may be swun outwardly in order to iseugage the wings or leaves 15 so that the hand inserted through theopening 1% may be withdrawn, but it will be'obscrved that the time required for this purpose will be such as to permit the persons attracted by the signal to observe the individual at the box.

In order that the door 3 may be properly relocked and the parts properly reset by an produce in one of the sides of the housing 5 an opening .25 adapted to be closed, as herein disclosed, by the hinged door 26 normally maintained in such closed position by a conventional lock 27.

As the source of electrical energy within the circuit 23 may be either from batteries suitably positioned within the housing or trim a main line. such source is only diagrammatically indicated at28.

15 will close a 1 plate to engage the While I have herein disclosed the signal 24 as a bell, it is to be understood that, if

desired, a lampmay be employed with equal facility and, if desired, both a bell and a lamp 25 may be interposed in the circuit 23.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a guard constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and isparticularly Well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that mv invention is susceptible of some change i.

arid modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to. be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of: the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention 1n practice.

I claim:

A device of the prising a housing a character. described com"- dapted to norm'ally inlock operating mechanism and provided with an entrance opening, contacts within the housin an electrically operated signal, a circuit or operating said signal, said contacts being interpose in said circuit and normally maintainin the circuit open, an endwise movable rod within the housing provided at one extremity with a contact plate adapted to coact with the first mentioned contacts, and means operable upon the insertion of the hand through the entrance opening to impart movement to the rod in a direction to cause the contact first named contacts. In testimony whereof I hereunto atiix my signature'in the presence of two witnesses.

THOS. B. HARRIS. \Vitnesses:

J. A, Pumas, WM. Knamzn. 

